Programming style

Below are some basic and important guidelines. Note that early in the semester we are not too concerned with efficiency.

• Documentation (comments)
  • Begin each script with a concise comment describing the program.
  • In a function, the function comment follows the function header and gives the specifications concisely, including the descriptions of the parameters.
  • Code should be sufficiently, but not excessively, commented. For example, define constants and important variables with comments and write a concise comment for each individual block of code. Do not comment every line of code.
• General style
  • Use meaningful variable names; they do not need to be long.
  • Name important parameters as variables.
  • Use proper indentation.
  • Line lengths should not be excessively long--a length of 80 columns is reasonable.
  • Use semi-colons as needed and never at ``mid-statement'' such as the end of these lines: if, elseif, else, for, and while. Note the distinction between the end of a line and the end of a statement. Here is an example with one ill-placed semi-colon and one correctly placed semi-colon:

    if x < y;    % Semi-colon is ill-placed at the end of a 
                 % line--the if statement isn't complete here
    
        x= x*2;  % Semi-colon is correctly placed at the end of 
                 % a statement
    end

• Conciseness and efficiency
  • There should be no superfluous code (e.g., an empty if or else branch or a useless loop)
  • Code should be reasonably efficient. (Note that optimal efficiency is not required; reasonably efficient code is expected.)